It's easier than you think to negotiate — on anything from cars to cashmere. Here's what to say.

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As retailers struggle with slowing sales, tightening credit, and rising energy costs, they may well be more willing to work with you to strike a deal, whether you're buying diamonds or door frames. You'll be surprised at how many stores with seemingly set prices will negotiate — but not until you ask.

If the thought of hitting up the manager at Best Buy for 30 percent off that shiny flat-screen TV intimidates you, you're not alone. "Most people only feel comfortable negotiating price when they have an edge — if the product is damaged or the seller has to get rid of it," says Steven P. Cohen, president of The Negotiation Skills Co., a consulting company. "But even if it's in perfect condition, don't be embarrassed to ask," says Tawra Kellam, who runs the Website livingonadime.com. "You're just trying to spend money wisely. Who could find fault with that?" At its simplest, haggling comes down to one question: Can you give me a better price? "The worst they can say is no," says Kellam. "A lot of the time, though, they'll say yes."

To help you become a black-belt bargainer, Good Housekeeping consulted world-class savings mavens and came up with simple scripts. You'll be getting lots for little in no time.

Next: Lower Credit Card Rates

Lower Credit Card Rates

Negotiating a lower interest rate can be one of the fastest and easiest things to work out. It costs card issuers about $300 to obtain a new customer, so they'd much rather give you a lower rate than lose your business, says Scott Bilker (yes, that's his real name), founder of debtsmart.com and author of Talk Your Way Out of Credit Card Debt. You may need to repeat your request to a supervisor who will have more leeway to meet your terms.

How to Prepare

Collect three tempting credit card offers that came in the mail

Use bankrate.com's Credit Card Rate Search tool to find the best rates for someone with your credit standing

Use the lowest interest rate you find (or lower) as your opening offer

What to Say

You: I'm calling about my card. The rate is just too high. Can you lower it?

Rep: I see you're paying 18.99 percent. Based on your good standing and credit history, I can offer you 13.99 percent.

You: That's a great start. But I've been a customer for 10 years, and although I'd like to keep using this card, I have a few better offers. One card issuer promises 0 percent for nine months and 10.99 after that. Can you do better than 13.99 percent, or may I talk with your supervisor?

Rep (after putting you on hold): Good news! We can match the 10.99 percent.

Next: Lower-Priced Clothes

Lower-Priced Clothes

Sluggish winter sales left stores with loads of overstock. "It's really a buyer's market now," says Kathryn Finney, author of How to Be a Budget Fashionista. Just be sure to tailor your strategy to the type of store. Discount stores like Target or Kohl's respond best to tactics emphasizing what their competitors are doing. At single-brand stores, like Gap or New York & Company, you'll often get better results by pointing out how long a particular item has been on the rack.

How to Prepare

Gather price information at competing retailers and e-tailers. Avoid extra legwork by using the Frucall comparison service when you're in a store. Call 888-363-7822 or text "FRU11" and enter the item's bar code. Frucall will hunt down the best deals online

Time your visit wisely: Weekdays and mornings are best. You're more likely to get on the good side of a sales associate or manager if you haggle when she isn't dealing with crowds of customers

Make your opening offer 10 to 15 percent less than the lowest price you've found

If a sales associate says she isn't authorized to bargain, politely ask to speak to a manager or supervisor

What to Say

You: I'm interested in this sweater. But I just came from [a competing store] and they had it for $10 less. I'd rather finish my shopping here than go back there. Can you match their price?

Manager: Our policy is to match competitors' prices, so that's not a problem.

You: I also noticed this skirt has a stain along the hem. I checked the shelf and it's the last one in the color I want.

Manager: Let me see. That's not major damage, but I could knock off 10 percent.

You: Could you go a little lower?

Manager: Well, 15 percent is probably the best that I could do.

Next: Affordable Appliances

Affordable Appliances

While electronics-store staffers haggle routinely, you may need to get creative to break the fixed-price mentality at department stores. If an employee won't budge on price, ask about free delivery or a complimentary extended warranty. Ally yourself with a salesperson. "On big-ticket items, she gets a commission no matter how much you pay," says Kellam. "You might try to politely remind the saleswoman that she doesn't want you to walk away and have someone else from the store grab that bonus."

How to Prepare

Price-shop the appliance online using helpful comparison search engines like nextag.com or pricegrabber.com. Then, print out the lowest amounts you find there from big-name retailers

Call two locally owned stores for their prices, so you know what they're charging

Calculate your opening offer. Aim for 15 percent below the lowest price you've seen in person or online or you've heard on the phone

What to Say

You: I've been looking at this washer-dryer combo, but $1,900 for the pair is a bit more than I'd like to spend. Is this really the best price I can get?

Employee: Hmm...let me see... Well, right now, there's a $100 mail-in rebate. So that would lower the price to $1,800.

You: Great! But that's still a bit more than I'd like to spend. I was wondering if you could do any better than that.

Employee: If you buy today, I can get my manager to throw in free delivery. You'd still get the rebate.

You: That's good. But I also found this offer online from your competitor, which has the same washer-dryer set on sale for $1,700. Can you match that?

Employee: Let me check with my manager... (Employee disappears and then returns.) Good news! It turns out that I can do you one better. We'll actually price-match and deduct another 10 percent, so that brings the set down to $1,530 before the rebate, $1,430 total.

Next: Cheaper Cars

Cheaper Cars

It's no secret: Automakers are often pretty desperate for sales these days. Of course, dealers generally expect you to haggle when you come in. Only the most popular models, like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid, tend to go for the sticker price. You might get the best deal by negotiating wholly via e-mail and heading to the dealership for the paperwork. But here's how to haggle in person, if you prefer.

How to Prepare

Research rebates, loans, and MSRPs (manufacturer's suggested retail prices) at auto sites like edmunds.com or Kelley Blue Book. Print out what you've found and take it to the showroom

Check dealerships' Websites for their online price quotes. Then, start e-mail negotiations with an Internet manager. If you wind up talking face-to-face, bring your research

Time your visit. Salespeople earn commissions partly based on the number of vehicles they sell. So plan to show up on a weekday morning, when customers are rare

Dealer: The MSRP is $25,920, but we're prepared to sell it to you for $25,120.
You: Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of $20,000.
Dealer: That's not possible. We pay the manufacturer $23,948, so I can't go below that and still make a profit. The carmaker is offering $500 cash back, so I can go a little lower...to $24,620.
You: But the Website I searched says there is a $4,500 unadvertised rebate that's paid from the manufacturer to your dealership. So you're not losing out by passing that discount along to me.
Dealer::Part of the dealer cash was factored into my original offer. I know you want this car. How about $20,920?
You: I also got online quotes from two other dealers, both for about $20,500. I would rather buy the car here, closer to home. But I'd need you to at least meet their offers.
Dealer: I can do that.
You: Great. We've got a deal.

Next: Secrets of Black-Belt Hagglers

Black-Belt Haggler: Rebecca Cook, TV-ad saleswoman, Wichita, KS

My best recent deal was on two mountain bikes selling for $175 each at a department store. I said to the clerk, "What if I gave you $300 for the two?" He was pretty surprised and said he'd need to ask his manager. I repeated my offer to her, and she immediately agreed. So it pays to be persistent about asking up the chain.

See if you can get a lower price by paying for a service all at once instead of in monthly payments. This summer, we signed up for yard-maintenance service. We asked if there were discounts for paying in advance, and the company gave us 7 percent off.

And don't be shy about asking for a recently expired discount. A few months ago, my husband and I needed to get new gutters, but we had missed the deadline for a particular promotion. I told the salesman we were still weighing other bids and asked if he would give us the earlier discount. He did — and we wound up saving more than $200.

Black-Belt Haggler: Laine White, customer liaison, Winston-Salem, NC

My best recent conquest was a china hutch. The furniture store had only the top. That was perfect for me because I already had a bureau. But I told the manager, "Nobody is going to want this without the other half. I could come back in a few months, and it'd be 50 percent off. Why don't you give me the discount and open up showroom space?" And she did.

I just went to a home and garden show and made out like a bandit. After I built a connection with the workers at one booth, they agreed to drop prices on their out-of-season items about 10 percent. I said I should get a "super discount" for buying so much. They agreed! I walked away with two items for free, and the rest at 30 to 50 percent off the booth's original price — 75 percent below prices I had seen in stores.

The best way to practice haggling is to host a yard sale. It helps you see the negotiation from a seller's perspective, and you can get used to bantering.

Key Phrases to Use

You'll boost your odds of haggling success by tossing around these words:

"I've been comparing prices." Translation: "I know what I'm doing." The salesperson knows you'll go where the best deal is.

"This item's not perfect." Point out any problem — maybe it's a discontinued model or the floor sample that has a nick on it. Noting this tells the sales rep you're doing her a favor by buying the item.

"Thank you." Employees are more likely to help a gracious customer than someone who comes off as rude or pushy.